Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review

A while back, I reviewed a solar-powered rain sensor labelled as model Tuya RB-SRAIN01. It’s a simple rain detector that can trigger automations whenever it starts raining. It operates well in my Zigbee mesh network (heavily routed and solidified), but some users report communication issues, given the remote installation nature of the device.

In this article, I’m sharing a quick review of a non-waterproof rain sensor from the Tuya ecosystem. Yes, that’s not a mistake. A non-waterproof rain sensor. As it’s a fairly cheap device, I was very curious in finding out how a rain sensor can be a non-waterproof device. I got it off AliExpress for less than $10, but it’s also listed on Amazon US and Amazon DE.

What’s inside this Tuya rain sensor?

This Tuya rain sensor arrived in a small box, containing the device itself, a user manual, a sticker for installation and a strip of waterproofing tape. Yes, that’s right. A strip of waterproofing tape for making this rain sensor waterproof and protecting it from the elements. I mean, you have to appreciate the aftersales support effort.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review SmartHomeScene: Package Contents — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Package Contents*

The device is powered by a set of AAA batteries, which are installed on the back. These can power the device for up to a year, per the manufacturer. As one would expect, there is no waterproof seal around the edge to keep them dry. I mean, why would you need one in a rain sensor?

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review SmartHomeScene: Batteries — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Batteries*

Before I even dismantled the device, I made a bet with myself that I’d find a Tuya ZTU [Datasheet] module inside. This is by no means a bad thing, as I have found the Tuya ZTU is a superb Zigbee communicator. It’s found a range of Tuya Zigbee devices, like this Tuya LD2410 mmWave Radar Presence Sensor. I fully expect this device to communicate well with my Zigbee coordinator.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review SmartHomeScene: Main PCB — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Main PCB*

What’s interesting is that, setting the waterproofing aside, the device actually feels well made. The PCB is clean, tidy, and laid out professionally. It could have been a nice little rain detector, if only someone had realized that a rain sensor, perhaps, ought to be waterproof.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review SmartHomeScene: Main PCB Side — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Main PCB – Side*

Home Assistant Integration

This device has a unique identifier model TS0207 and manufacturer _TZ3000_otwpdq1d. To pair it to your coordinator, simply press the button with the pin for 5 seconds until the LED starts blinking. Once paired to Zigbee2MQTT, it is identified as water leak sensor instead of a rain sensor. It recycles an external converter from another device with the same identifier and clusters, which is why it is identified as it is.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review: Added to Zigbee2MQTT — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Added to Zigbee2MQTT*

It exposes a typical set of entities for a water leak sensor in Zigbee2MQTT. It can tell you if there’s a water leak (or whether it’s raining in this case), it reports the battery, has a tamper alarm and a binary low battery alarm. From a Zigbee communication perspective, the device operates and reports state without any issues.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review: Zigbee2MQTT Entities — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Zigbee2MQTT Entities*

Once paired to my ZHA testing network, the device is also identified as a water leak sensor with the same identifier. No custom quirk is applied (or needed), as the binary water leak sensor is a standard cluster which is added automatically. Just like in Zigbee2MQTT, the device is correctly set as an EndDevice as it operates on batteries and is not a router.

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review: Added to ZHA — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Added to ZHA*

Making it waterproof

What’s really funny is that the box includes waterproof tape for rain protection. If turning this into a waterproof device relies on tape, the chances are practically zero. You might have slightly better luck with a hot glue gun or some epoxy, but honestly, this device isn’t worth that kind of effort.

In any case, I decided to give the waterproof strip a chance. Here’s what I got:

Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sensor Review SmartHomeScene: Sealed with Tape — *Tuya Non-Waterproof Rain Sealed with tape*

After I wrapped it with tape like a half-baked science project, I tested the Zigbee range to see if the tape interfered with communication. All was well, there were no issues and it reported the same LQI in Zigbee2MQTT. That was it, this device went straight to the bin.

Final Thoughts

From a Zigbee perspective, the device operates well. There were no pairing issues or connectivity drops in both of my testing instances with ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT. The sensor plate reports state instantly, even with a small drop of water dropped on its surface. As a binary “is it raining?” sensor, this is all you actually need. That’s about the only good thing about this device.

The fact that this sensor isn’t waterproof is just ridiculous. I get that it’s made by some generic, no-name Chinese brand running a Tuya chip, but still—how anyone thought this was a finished, market-ready product is beyond me. A non-waterproof rain sensor is ironic at best and comedy gold at worst. In the end, it’s simple: do not buy this device.

With that said, I noticed a whole lot of Zigbee rain sensors popping up on AliExpress lately. I have a few more incoming that I will be reviewing in the following months. These have good reviews, but I have not tested them personally. Buy at your own risk.